"Who are you?"
The woman took another step forward. She didn't need her helmet to project an aura of sheer dominance. Her pale lips curved ever so slightly, though whether it was in disdain or amusement, Vastarael couldn't tell.
Her alabaster skin made her look like a statue carved by the best craftsmen. He couldn't deny it; she was beautiful.
"My name is Ferris Harrowshard, Grand Cross of the Holy Insignia Order. And I hereby challenge you…"
She paused, her words hanging in the air like a sword suspended by a fraying thread.
"…to a knight's duel."
Vastarael blinked, caught off guard.
"A… duel?"
Ferris nodded, raising her chin slightly. Her aura intensified and Vastarael could feel the pressure in the room shift, like the pull of a tide that threatened to drown him.
"Yes. A duel. Prove yourself worthy of standing before me, or accept your end here and now."
Vastarael felt his heart skip a beat. He glanced around, taking in the army of black knights that still surrounded him, their weapons unwaveringly pointed in his direction. Each of them was a Second Phase Ascender that much was clear to him now. Their essence radiated off them like heat waves, creating a suffocating atmosphere that pressed against his own essence reserves.
But Ferris… She was different.
He couldn't sense her power at all. Not even the faintest trace. It wasn't that she was hiding it. It was as though her very existence eclipsed his ability to perceive. It sent chills down his spine.
Was she a Third Phase? A Divine? He had no way of knowing.
"What if I refuse?"
Ferris tilted her head slightly, her crimson eyes narrowing.
"Then you will meet your end here, surrounded by my legion. They will strike you down without hesitation and your essence will be consumed by the spire itself."
Vastarael's throat tightened. He had fought many battles, faced trials that would break most, but this… this was on an entirely different scale.
Hundreds of Second Phase knights, a woman whose power was incomprehensible and a spire that seemed to have its own will. Even with his abilities, his sapphire, and his artifacts, survival was not guaranteed if he refused. And he was tired from the last training arena.
He exhaled slowly, lowering his head for a moment before looking back at her.
"Fine. I accept."
Ferris gave a small nod, as though his answer had been a foregone conclusion.
"Good. Then let us set the terms of this duel."
She raised a hand and the black knights moved instantly, retreating to the edges of the room with perfect synchronization. They formed a massive ring around the center, their weapons held at their sides now.
"The rules are simple," Ferris began. "We fight until one of us yields or is incapacitated. No interference from my legion, no retreating beyond the ring. Victory will belong to the one who proves themselves superior."
"Great," Vastarael muttered, glancing at the encircling knights. The pressure of their collective gazes made his skin crawl. "And what happens if I win?"
Ferris smiled faintly, a flicker of something dangerous in her expression.
"If you win, I will allow you to join us unimpeded. My knights and I will grant you safe passage to the thirty-second floor up to the last floor. We need all the help we can get."
"And if I lose?"
"Then you die," she said matter-of-factly, her tone utterly devoid of malice. "Your life will end here and your essence will fuel the spire's purpose."
Vastarael swallowed hard but nodded. "Fine. And no restrictions on what we can use?"
"None," Ferris replied. "Fight with everything you have. Whether as a knight, a mage, or both, it matters not. Prove your worth."
Vastarael's mind raced as he prepared himself. He couldn't afford to hold back. Not against her. He would need to rely on his Circlecraft, his Runes and every ounce of his power. He could fight as a mage-knight, blending mystic and physical combat, but even then, he wasn't confident he could match her.
Still, he had no choice.
"One last thing," he said, gripping the sapphire glaive tightly. "What's in this for you? Why are you even bothering with this duel?"
"Because the spire chose you, and I wish to see why. Now, Vastarael Richinaria…"
She raised her hand and her blackened greatsword sword appeared in it, materializing from the very air itself. Its blade pulsed with dark energy, the edges lined with runes he didn't recognize.
"Show me your resolve."
The knights around them slammed their weapons against the ground, the sound echoing like a war drum. Vastarael steadied his breath, his heart pounding in his chest.
This wasn't just a fight. It was survival.
"Alright," he muttered, spinning the sapphire glaive in his hand as it shimmered with blue light. "Let's dance."
The clang of weapons through the vast hall as Vastarael's glaive, Calimostria, met Ferris Harrowshard's massive blackened greatsword. The sheer force of the impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air, nearly pushing Vastarael off balance. His hands tightened around the sapphire glaive, its crystalline surface glimmering faintly in the dim light of the hall.
Ferris was strong. Not just strong. She was absurdly strong.
Her every swing carried the weight of a collapsing mountain and her movements were impossibly swift for someone wielding such a massive blade. It was all Vastarael could do to deflect her relentless attacks. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed, the force of her strikes rattling through his arms.
"You're surprisingly agile for someone who looks so delicate," Ferris remarked mid-swing despite the ferocity of her attacks. She brought her greatsword down in a crushing arc, aiming to split him in two.
Vastarael sidestepped at the last possible moment, the blade slamming into the ground where he'd been standing, leaving a deep gouge in the stone floor. He used the opening to spin around, one of the two blades of Calimostria slicing toward her midsection. But Ferris anticipated the move, her greatsword swinging upward to parry his attack with ease.
"Delicate? I'll show you delicate."
He raised his hand, summoning a long sapphire shard from thin air. It materialized instantly, glowing with a faint, ethereal light as he hurled it at her.
Ferris twisted her body, the shard narrowly missing her shoulder and embedding itself into the far wall with a crystalline thunk. She smirked.
"A mage and a warrior? You're full of surprises."
She pressed the attack again, her blade moving in an intricate series of arcs and slashes. Vastarael ducked under a horizontal swing, planting his glaive's blade into the ground and using it to vault backward, gaining some much-needed distance.
He landed gracefully, immediately summoning several sapphire spikes from the ground around him. They rose like jagged teeth, forming a protective barrier.
Ferris didn't hesitate. She charged straight at the spikes. With a single swing, she shattered the sapphire barrier, shards scattering in every direction. Vastarael barely had time to dodge as one of the shards whizzed past his face, leaving a shallow cut on his cheek.
"Seriously?" Vastarael groaned, wiping the blood with the back of his hand. "That took effort, you know."
"If you waste energy on tricks like that, you'll tire long before I do."
Vastarael gritted his teeth. He had to admit, she wasn't wrong. Her strength and endurance were monstrous and she fought with the precision of someone who had centuries of battle experience. If he didn't step up his game, he wouldn't last long.
He twirled Calimostria in his hands, the sapphire glaive humming faintly with energy.
"Alright, let's see how you handle this."
With a burst of speed, Vastarael closed the distance between them, his glaive spinning in a series of rapid, fluid strikes. Ferris blocked each one with maddening ease, her greatsword moving with unimaginable speed that belied its massive size. But Vastarael wasn't just relying on physical attacks. With every strike, he infused his glaive with sapphire energy, releasing small bursts of essence with each impact.
Ferris seemed unfazed at first, but as the fight wore on, Vastarael noticed her movements slowing slightly. She swung her blade in a wide arc, forcing him to leap back and then paused, her icy blue eyes narrowing.
"Clever," she admitted, her voice laced with grudging respect. "You're trying to wear me down with that energy of yours. But it won't be enough."
Before Vastarael could respond, she slammed her greatsword into the ground, releasing a shockwave of dark energy that rippled outward. Vastarael barely managed to summon a solid sapphire wall in time, the dark wave slamming into it and sending him skidding backward. The barrier cracked but held.
"Alright, she's playing dirty now," Vastarael muttered under his breath.
He dismissed the cracked barrier, focusing his energy on Calimostria. The glaive's blade began to glow brighter, the sapphire weapon pulsating with raw power.
Ferris raised an eyebrow. "Finally getting serious, are we?"
"You could say that," Vastarael replied, his tone flippant despite the tension in his muscles.
He charged at her again, this time aiming lower. Ferris brought her greatsword down in a vertical slash, but Vastarael slid under the attack, his glaive slicing toward her legs.
She jumped back, narrowly avoiding the strike, but Vastarael was relentless. He summoned another sapphire spike from the ground, using it as a foothold to launch himself into the air. He brought Calimostria down in a powerful overhead strike, forcing Ferris to raise her greatsword to block.
The impact was immense. The clash of their weapons sent another shockwave rippling through the hall, the floor beneath them cracking from the force. Ferris held her ground but Vastarael didn't let up. He channeled more sapphire energy into his glaive, the blade glowing brighter and brighter.
"Not bad," Ferris admitted through gritted teeth, her arms straining against his glaive. "But you'll have to do better than this."
With a sudden burst of strength, she shoved him back, sending him stumbling. Before he could recover, she swung her greatsword in a wide arc, the dark energy trailing behind it like a shadow. Vastarael ducked just in time, the blade passing inches above his head.
"Better?" Vastarael said with a strained laugh, rolling to his feet. "How about this?"
He thrust his glaive into the ground, releasing a wave of sapphire spikes that erupted around Ferris. She leapt into the air, avoiding the spikes, but Vastarael was ready. He summoned another spike above her, aiming to impale her in midair.
Ferris twisted her body, the spike grazing her armor as she landed gracefully on the ground. She smirked, a hint of amusement in her eyes.
"You're a tricky one, I'll give you that."
"And you're stubborn," Vastarael shot back, panting slightly. He could feel the strain of the fight wearing on him, but he refused to back down.
This wasn't just about survival anymore. It was about proving himself.
The fight continued, both of them pushing each other to their limits. Vastarael's sapphire creations clashed against Ferris's crimson energy, their weapons colliding again and again in a dazzling display of power and skill.
Despite the odds, Vastarael couldn't help but feel a surge of exhilaration. For the first time in a long time, he was fighting someone who truly challenged him.
But as the battle raged on, one thought lingered in the back of his mind: How much stronger is she holding back?
And then, after a few moments, none of them held back anymore.